Cooper Story
by lbk813
Summary: This is a realistic fiction story about my golden retriever named Cooper. It goes through many funny memories, and activities involving Cooper and his family. Enjoy!
1. Intro

INTRO:

She marveled at the way her fingers fell in between his short, metallic, black fur. She sat stroking him for hours at a time, until the slightest noise would frighten him. He would jerk his head up, prepared for whatever stands between him and his family. Within seconds, he was gone; sprinting through the grassy acres of land, that separated her, from her dog. The sun beat down on her face, and she shivered in the cool breeze of the November day. She couldn't help herself from thinking what it would be like to have a dog who would cuddle with her, paw at her for attention, and make her feel like the most important person on Earth. She loved Domino because he kept her and her family safe. He also didn't mind hugs, but was always on the look out. She could cuddle with him, but he didn't cuddle back. Molly wanted another dog, immensely much that _would._


	2. Chapter 1

ONE:

"Hi Aunt Laura!" Molly exclaimed when she leapt out of the car. She allowed her stiff legs a quick stretch after being crammed into a Lexus, with two siblings in the back seat along with her, for a three-hour drive, before running to see Fletcher. In a hurry, she greeted her Aunt Laura, and cousins, Emilie and John, and was off, sprinting into the house. Molly loved spending time with her Aunt Laura because she adored Indianapolis, where her Aunt lived. She admired her little house, and the friendly neighbors, but most of all, the people who lived in the little house. Laura was such a fun Aunt! She always took her kids and niece to do fun things such as rock-climbing and horseback riding. Molly loved to play with her cousin John. John was only about one week younger than Molly, so they liked the same kind of activities. They usually flipped on beds, or rode bikes. Emilie was five years older, so she tended to play with Grace, rather than Molly. Molly enjoyed spying on them and listening to their conversations. Before the swift shut of the screen door, Molly heard her mother say, "She has been so excited to see Fletcher again," and three friendly giggles.

Through the family room, then the dining room, and lastly, the kitchen, Molly ran. She recognized the squeaky hard wood floors, and the ding of "high C" on the piano as her feet stomped past it. She noticed rearranged furniture, and new artwork hanging on the walls. All of the small details went through her brain and back out in a flash, for she was so focused on seeing Fletcher. She grabbed her pink sweater and slipped it on, remembering the Indiana weather was much like the Chicago weather she was used to. Soon, she was racing through the backyard, and noticed Fletcher, who was also racing towards her. They collided and both fell to the ground. Molly's heart was laughing as she stood back up and skipped to the dog, and toppled over him. She rubbed his belly and laid beside him in the slippery, cold grass. Fifteen minutes of petting, greeting, and loving had passed before her sister, Grace, came out into the yard. Grace was seven years older than Molly, so she was fourteen at the time. Grace and Molly typically got along well, but often joked around with each other, in a loving sort-of way. Grace smiled when she saw her little sister with the golden retriever she adored. While greeting Fletcher, Grace told Molly, "Aunt Laura is going to bring us to see the new puppy her neighbor has! He was just born two weeks ago. Hurry up and get inside. Mom said you have to wear your winter jacket instead of that flimsy-old-sweater." With a snicker, Grace pulled herself up, offered her hand to help Molly, but Molly politely refused. Grace shrugged and went in the house. But, Molly remained in the grass with Fletcher. She gave him a huge hug and kiss and went inside, only stepping in the footprints Grace had left in the wet grass. SWISH! SWOSH!

SLAM! The back door shut loudly, causing everyone in the kitchen to stare. Molly timidly forced a smile and a small "oops". Her Aunt shouted, "Goodness Gracious Molly! I haven't seen you for months and you fly right by me to go see my silly dog? Come give me a hug!" Molly now had a real smile from ear to ear on her face, and charged into her Aunt's welcoming arms. "Wow Laura. The house looks beautiful! I love the new paint color," said Molly's mom, Annie. Annie and Laura were two sisters who loved to decorate. They would always call each other on the telephone when they had another vision of how to redecorate a room, hoping for positive feedback and constructive criticism. It was no surprise Annie noticed the redone kitchen and was the first to comment on it. "Thank you Annie. I just had the best time painting it too! Well, by the look on Molly's face I can see we have done enough chatting. Go hop in the car and we will go see Crazy Carol's puppy." Immediately, Molly's face lit up. She was ecstatic with the thought she may be getting another dog! That is, if her parents would allow it. Molly hadn't exactly told them she wanted another dog yet. She was waiting for the perfect time, but didn't expect the day to come so quickly. Molly prayed for a miracle and before she left, she remembered to grab some dog treats out of the glass jar in the pantry, to feed the puppies. Laura, Annie, and Grace went outside and jumped in the car. Within minutes Molly heard the car horn honk furiously. She yelled for her brother and cousins to come along and was out the door.


	3. Chapter 2

TWO:

Aunt Laura, Annie, Grace, Kevin, Emilie, and Molly were all squished in Laura's car. Fortunately, the car ride to Crazy Carol's house was only about five minutes. Crazy Carol is a friend of Laura's, and is called crazy because she has _so_ many golden retrievers. She owns quite a few of her own, she grooms them in her garage, and she sometimes gets permission from breeders, who are her friends, to sell a couple of their dogs. Crazy Carol knew a lot about dogs…especially golden retrievers. The family was going to see a new puppy, named Will, Carol had received from a breeder in Michigan. But, that was not what was in Molly's mind. _She_ planned on actually purchasing a dog. "We are here! Everybody out." Laura said. Anxiously, Molly pushed through her siblings and cousins in the back seat. On her way out of the car, her brother, Kevin, tripped her. Kevin was only five years older than Molly, so he was twelve years old. Just like any other typical brother, he loved to annoy his little sister. Poor Molly was always tormented, but on the positive side, it made her a tough little girl! She stumbled and fell flat on the asphalt driveway. Furiously, Molly wiped her hair out of her face, jerked her head towards Kevin, and gave him a glare. Suddenly she heard four loud "barks" coming from inside the house and forgot all about Kevin. By this time everyone but him was out of the car. Molly slammed the car door shut and galloped into the house. On her way inside she heard muffled banging and yelling coming from the car, and giggled because she knew it was her awful brother Kevin, trying to unlock the car door so he could get out. She was amazed with what she saw! One golden retriever was lying on the couch. A true beauty she was. She had a large tail, big and plump paws, and brown eyes that seemed to beg to be petted. Another younger looking golden retriever was in a kennel through the arch in the walls, and in the kitchen. He seemed to be hurt, for his right arm was bandaged with a bright purple cloth. The oldest golden retriever was sitting in the doorway with Carol, Laura, and Annie. She had a completely white face, and white tips on her fur. Other than that, she was a deep, brick red color. Then she saw it. Molly looked to her right and laid eyes on the most beautiful golden retriever she had ever seen. His tail was as bushy as a cumulonimbus cloud. He was such a shiny gold, it was almost blinding to the naked eye. Not literally, but to Molly, it felt that way. He had just been groomed and was as neat as a pin. Molly's daze was interrupted by a high-pitched, almost squeaky voice. "Well, you must be Molly. I'm Miss Carol. It is a pleasure to meet you. From what I've heard, you have been pretty excited to meet little Will, here." Carol said, holding up Will as if offering him to Molly, to hold. "Hello ma'am. Yes, I'm very excited…but…well…nev…nevermind." Molly replied. "What is it dear?" Asked Carol sweetly. "I was just noticing that golden over there. He is beautiful. Is he-" "Why yes! He sure is, isn't he? Let me tell you his story. His mother and father were show dogs. He was supposed to be one as well. My friend in Michigan is a golden retriever breeder, and she adores him. I finally talked her into letting me bring him home last weekend. She said I could sell him to anyone as long as they are going to show him. Are you interested little lady?" Molly giggled and looked up at her father for support, who had just arrived.

Little did Molly know, her father had been To Carol's earlier in the day. He had been looking for a golden retriever for a surprise for the kids. It was totally unexpected of him, but he had known Molly was longing for another dog. "I just think we might be, Carol." He said. His booming voice filled the whole room and his powerful words lit up Molly's heart. "You mean it dad? Really?" Molly asked hopefully. Before he could even reply, she ran over to the dog. She hugged him and didn't let go for a long time. Soon everyone joined her. "Dad, are we really getting him?" Asked Kevin. "Oh please dad!" Grace chimed in. Molly did not need to speak. Her face said it all. Her eyes were squinted and focused on the dog's. Her mouth was curved in a slight grin, but still very concentrated. The children and their cousins sat and adored the dog and didn't even notice when their father, and uncle, slipped away to talk to Carol. "How much are we talkin' Carol? You know we aren't going to show him." He said. "Oh I know. Normally, I would not allow this, but since I know you guys are going to take great care of him, I will. He is yours for-" "OH YES! WE GOT HIM! Come on Cooper! Lets go get in the car!" Grace exclaimed to the dog. The family had already decided they would name their next dog, whomever it may be, Cooper. Cooper was a family name. Now, their new golden retriever was officially part of the family, for he had been named after Grandpa Cooper. The children ran out to the car with the dog close behind. The adults exchanged nods and departed. "I'll call you later." Carol whispered. "This is so great! Cooper and Fletcher are going to be best friends! Mom, how old is Cooper?" Emilie wondered. "He is 6 months, and Fletcher is 2 months. They will get along just fine."

The car came to a screech and in a flash the whole family, eight thrilled people, stepped out. Molly, Kevin, and Grace's father, Jim, helped Cooper out of the trunk. "Everyone come wash your hands after petting all of those dogs!" Said a demanding voice from already inside. Everyone hurried in…except Molly and Kevin. "You know what golden retrievers, like Cooper, enjoy?" Asked Kevin. "What…Milkbones?" "Nope, seven year old girls. They chew them up, and swallow them. Sometimes they even eat them whole! But for you, Cooper will probably just munch down a couple times, then notice how gross you are, and spit you out!" "Stop it Kevin! You big meanie!" Molly smacked Kevin with Cooper's leash and ran away, hoping he wouldn't follow. She ran over to Fletcher and hid behind a tree, Cooper close behind. Fletcher had laid down beneath the tree in the fresh, gloppy, disgusting mud. The dark brown was a new color on his practically multicolored coat. He was originally a white-ish colored, golden retriever. There was dried mud that created a light brown with the contrast of his fur, and old, crusty dirt that added an even lighter shade to the mix. Molly rolled her eyes and smirked as she gathered a pile of crunchy, brown, and several orange leaves, to sit on. Her back leaned against the tree trunk, as her head relied on its support entirely. She sat stroking Fletcher, imagining what it would be like to be petting her own golden retriever, in her own backyard. At that moment, Cooper waddled up to her. She noticed a sort of swing in his step. He moved not his hips, but his stomach side to side as he walked. He tired quickly, Molly had already noticed, so she invited him to lay down with Fletcher and her. As if he had read her mind, Cooper plopped down, his head resting on Molly's knee. Molly could hear Cooper and Fletcher panting, creating a melody with a fast beat. After seven minutes… all three of them were asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

THREE:

Molly's eyes came to a sudden flutter, and shot open. For a moment she could not remember why she was sitting in the backyard underneath the large tree. Then, she saw a note lying beside Cooper's front-right paw.

_Hi honey. Emilie, John, Grace, Aunt Laura, and I have gone to Butler University. There is a beautiful area right off the bike trail, which you may know of. Fletcher enjoys running through the creeks and up the hills. When you wake up, grab this red leash and bring Cooper on down. Kevin and dad are inside if you need them._

_Love,_

_Mom (5:35 p.m.)_

Excitedly, Molly shook Cooper to wake him up and said calmly, "Walk?" Almost as if Cooper had understood Molly's words, he sprang to his feet and waited for the red leash Annie had left to be hooked around his collar. Momentarily, Molly and Cooper began their stroll to Butler University, a college in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a private college. It was also the desired college for Molly. She had wanted to attend there ever since she saw it for the first time, which was also the first time she had visited her Aunt Laura in Indianapolis.

John and Molly had walked down to the same creek that she and Cooper were headed to at the moment. She remembered it having a beautiful atmosphere. The water danced off the shiny stones. Small waterfalls were created instantly, within three feet away from each other. The creek was not dirty, even though it was preferred for dogs. It was actually quite clean. So clean, that even Annie did not have a problem walking through it barefoot, besides the fact there were sharp rocks that hurt her feet. When John took Molly for the first time, she was overwhelmed with excitement. Molly was a dog-loving person. There was no question about it. She was even involved with online rescue programs for dogs, so when she saw plentiful amounts of them all around her, she was giddy. Her favorite dog she saw there was rather large. Molly was unsure of his breed, but loved him for his name. His owners were throwing "Wallie" tennis balls in the creek, and invited John and Molly to join them. When suddenly another dog, a german shepherd, stole the tennis ball before Wallie got to it. Wallie snapped at the dog and from only eleven feet away, his owner yelled, "WALTER! GET BACK HERE!" That was Molly's most fond memory of the "dog creek" because she thought the name was so original. She loved how a dog could have a nickname, such as Wallie, but only be called his real name when he was in trouble, such as Walter.

"Hey Molly! Over here!" a voice cried from across the bike trail. Molly's pleasant daydream was interrupted to see her cousin, John, waving to her. "Hi John. I'll be right over." Molly replied and was perplexed about how John got across the creek, for it was very deep at this point. It seemed John could sense Molly's confusion, because he shouted to her to use the little bridge farther down the trail, that he had constructed out of logs, two years ago. This made Molly even more bewildered, for she had never even seen John's bridge before. Even so, she wandered over to it, Cooper leading the way. When she arrived, she saw it was barely two feet across. John was only in first grade when he made it after all. "HEY JOHN! HOW'D YA THINK I WAS GONNA GET ACROSS THIS THING WITH A DOG?" Molly screamed. She heard her echo, but no response from John. Molly sighed, and instantly, Cooper took off. He sprinted across the small, unstable bridge, like a horse that had been spooked. Molly was about to learn how Cooper loved to chase squirrels. Birds, he did not mind; but whenever he saw a squirrel, he ran to get it. Odds are he would never catch up with one, but it was worth the fun of chasing it to him. He dragged Molly across the bridge, banging up her knees and left shoulder. When they finally made it across, Molly broke out crying. She had splinters in her knees, and scrapes all over her shoulder. What was a seven-year-old to do? She let out a big "HELP" and after what seemed like an eternity, Aunt Laura, Annie, Emilie, and Grace came to her rescue. Molly eventually calmed down enough, that her words were not slurred. She was able to tell her Aunt and mother exactly what had happened. When they heard the story, Grace and Emilie immediately jumped at Cooper. They scolded him for hurting Molly. "Stop it Grace! Stop it Emilie! It wasn't Coop's fault! He didn't know what he was doing! I promise. Ask him." Molly cried. "Don't be foolish Molly. Cooper can not talk." Grace argued as she stepped away from Cooper, and stopped lecturing him. As in response to Grace's statement, Molly whispered into Cooper's ear. She nodded periodically…whispered some more…and listened some more. After about two minutes of patiently waiting, Emilie demanded Molly to state what Cooper had "said" to her. Little did Molly know, Emilie was just trying to agree with her, and abandon the argument. "Well, what did he say?" Emilie asked. "He…he…he said he…l-loves me." Molly replied. "For crying out loud Molly!" Emilie said. "He did! He said he was sorry for hurting me!"

Molly grabbed Cooper's leash and ran. She dropped the leash and looped it around the tree. Suddenly she saw Fletcher drinking out of the creek. Remembering her injuries, she sat in the creek beside him, to wash off the small amounts of blood and dirt. The skin around her scrapes tingled in the creek water. It hurt, but felt good in a way.

Molly was only a little girl, and believed she could talk to animals. She knew they wouldn't talk back, but she always thought they could understand what she was telling them. When she told her cousin and sister Cooper had told Molly he loved her, she could just tell by the way he looked at her. His eyes said it all.

They said…I'm sorry.

They said…I'm having fun.

They said…I love to chase the squirrels.

But most importantly, they said…I love you.

Molly knew Cooper loved her since this first day. She knew he would always continue to love her also. Suddenly Annie yelled for Molly because they were getting ready to leave Butler. It was almost dinnertime. Fletcher was gone in a second, hurrying to Laura. Cooper on the other hand, sat patiently. He knew he would have to wait calmly until it was time for Molly to undo his leash and walk him to the car. That is exactly what he did.


	5. Chapter 4

FOUR:

The next day, when Molly woke up, she teetered over to the bathtub. Her arms and legs were still sore from the bridge-incident from the day before. The tub was filled with hot water and she stepped in. Her scrapes stung, but it felt good to soak them. Shortly after she got in, Cooper nudged the cracked door open with his snout. Molly was thrilled to see him! She kissed his head as he hung it over the side of the tub. Experimenting with him, Molly splashed his face with warm water. He squinted his eyes and opened them up again. He didn't look angry, like most dogs would. Nor did he run away. Apparently he was not bothered by water. For the rest of the time he laid down on the bath mat and waited for Molly.

"Hey Molly. How'd ya sleep?" Emilie greeted Molly, when she walked into the kitchen, squeaky clean. "Hi Emilie. I slept well, thank you. Did you know Cooper likes to take baths?" "Oh no! Molly, you didn't put him in the bathtub…did you?" "No, but when I was taking a bath I splashed him, and he didn't even react". Emilie laughed and "noogied" Molly's head. "We are walking to the food emporium for breakfast. Do you want to come?" Emilie asked. "Sure! Let me go get my shoes and Cooper's leash." Molly ran into John's bedroom, where she was staying, and slipped on her plaid ballet flats. She also found her soft, navy blue robe on the bed, and decided to put it on as well. She clipped Cooper's leash to his collar and dragged him out the door, lightning speed. "Hi honey. Perfect timing." Annie told Molly as she ran out the front door. Annie, Aunt Laura, and Grace had been waiting outside for Emilie. The food emporium was a cozy restaurant in the little town, and was a favorite breakfast-hang-out for all of the neighbors. It was usually rather early when the family went, so they always wore pajamas. Today, it was 7:45 a.m. and the joint was bustling with people. Molly's favorite things to get were honey buns, and apple-fritters. Annie usually got an omelet. So did Laura. Emilie and Grace liked the bagels. John and Kevin were still asleep in the basement, so they did not tag along with the girls. Jim was also at home, supervising incase the boys woke up. The girls were bringing all three of them donuts and muffins to eat. "They probably were up until three in the morning playing video games." Molly muttered when Laura was saying how she missed their company. The family ate their delightful meals and sadly, it was time for Cooper, and his new family to make their way back to Chicago. By the time they all arrived at Laura's house again, Kevin and John had awaken. They were sitting in the family room, watching ESPN. They were ecstatic when Emilie handed them their muffins. In no time they gobbled them up.

Jim was relived to see his wife and daughter back, for he was stressing over getting a late start home. Jim was all about beating the traffic. As fast as a racecar, Jim sped throughout the house, throwing suitcase after suitcase into the trunk. Finally after fifteen minutes, he took a breather to drink some hot tea, and eat a pumpkin muffin. By 8:30 a.m. the family was gone. Cooper was situated in the back seat, where he sat facing the trunk's window, so he could watch what was happening in Indianapolis as they drove away. Kevin, Grace, and Molly were all squished into the backseat. Annie was seated in the passenger seat, and Jim took control as the driver. They all waved and kissed goodbye through the opened-windows. Cooper was finally headed home.

"On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed." Molly sang to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey," the children's' song. "Stop singing, Molly!" Kevin snapped. "IT ROLLED OFF THE TABLE…" Molly protested and continued to sing. "AND ON TO THE FLOOR." "Mom! Tell her to stop! I'm trying to sleep!" Kevin screamed. "Kevin she is seven years old. Let her sing." Grace added. The car ride was beginning to get interesting. Molly and Jim were hungry. Grace had to use the bathroom. And, Kevin was constantly complaining because of Molly's tendency to annoy.

Through all this chaos, Annie sat cheerfully. She sang along with Molly in a sweet tone, when Molly felt like singing. She encouraged Jim to take an "itsy-bitsy" stop when someone was hungry. She persuaded Jim to also stop when someone had to use the restroom, promising it would only take five minutes. At those rare moments when all was quiet, Annie read her book. These times did not occur often, but when they did it usually consisted of Molly sleeping, Kevin listening to his ipod, and Grace studying. Jim did not like to have music playing in the car, which Molly enjoyed, but drove Grace bananas. Grace always needed to have music on…in the car. That is why family road-trips were not her preferred vacation. "It is my car, we will listen to music I like and when I like." That was Jim's way of thinking.

Cooper was a guy to go with the flow. He did not mind Molly's singing, Kevin's complaining, or even the bickering going on in the backseat. At least if he did, he did not show it. Cooper sat or laid down pleasantly the entire ride. He was not urgent with bathroom breaks. No accidents occurred, but about ever hour or so, he would be let out at a rest-stop to run around and go to the bathroom. In Cooper's mind, life was good.


End file.
